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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26811604">Conflagration</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force/pseuds/Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force'>Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bumbleby Oneshots [21]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Character Death, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Spring Maiden!Yang</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 09:02:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,423</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26811604</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force/pseuds/Blake_Belladonna_Defence_Force</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Conflagration:<br/>noun. (ˌkɑːnfləˈgreɪʃən) A very intense and uncontrolled fire.</p><p>When Yang finds herself at the inheritance of her mother’s powers, she collapses into a burning inferno, grief and anger bleeding into her.</p><p>What does it take to bring her back?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bumbleby Oneshots [21]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1926181</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>260</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Conflagration</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A prompt request from tumblr!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’ll buy you time. Now </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>go!”</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raven, Yang decides, is an idiot. A coward and a fool. But… in that moment, Yang saw that the woman that birthed her was</span>
  <em>
    <span> trying.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Trying to atone and make amends. To do </span>
  <em>
    <span>one good thing</span>
  </em>
  <span> in her life. To distract Salem and her forces long enough for them to get away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yang expects her to use her semblance to get away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They’re on the outskirts of an abandoned village, desperately seeking shelter, when she realises that she’s so, </span>
  <em>
    <span>so </span>
  </em>
  <span>wrong.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yang?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She heard Blake call but she can’t respond. She places a hand to her head and groans. It feels like something has ignited in her chest, far more powerful and painful than her semblance. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she hears her mother’s voice whispering “I’m sorry”, her tone more full of regret and remorse than it had been back in the vault back at Haven. The spark in her chest grows bigger and brighter until it feels like a raging inferno. She can feel flames licking at her skin, Can fee fire that doesn’t come from her fists or her hair lighting up the darkness and she </span>
  <em>
    <span>knows.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She </span>
  <em>
    <span>knows</span>
  </em>
  <span> that Raven succeeded in buying them time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She </span>
  <em>
    <span>knows </span>
  </em>
  <span>that Raven failed to get away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And she </span>
  <em>
    <span>knows </span>
  </em>
  <span>that Raven, the woman that birthed her, the woman that she had such conflicted feelings about, the woman that she wanted to hate… that woman… was dead.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yang?!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She barely flinches as both Ruby and Weiss call out, her mind more focused on the pain in her chest. Her lungs burn and her ribs feel like they’re being crushed. Her breaths are coming hard and fast, tears burning in her eyes as she begins to shake violently.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stay back. All of you!” Blake’s voice orders, sounding far away and hollow, as if Yang’s under water. “Ruby. Get everyone inside. I’ll take care of Yang.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay. Just be careful. If Yang hurts you, she won’t forgive herself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I will.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yang can’t process their words. She hears them but they won’t sink in. Footsteps begin and fade away before she hears her partner speak again and she whimpers weakly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yang-shit!” Blake grunts, sounding like she was dodging something as Yang falls to her knees with an anguished cry. “Yang, I need you to breathe for me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I ca- I can’t.” Yang gasps out, flames and smoke spilling from her mouth. Her tremors become worse, more violent as her chest constricts. Tears fall down her cheeks, the heat surrounding her drying them up before they hit the ground. “I can’t!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, you can!” Blake’s voice is closer, sounding strained and exerted. Another grunt escapes Blake as she dodges something yet again. “You’re strong, Yang. So, </span>
  <em>
    <span>so </span>
  </em>
  <span>strong. You go through so much hell and you still walk out the other side with your head held high.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yang lets out a strained noise in her throat, rocking back and forth with her hands gripping her biceps in a painfully tight grip. She feels something graze her metal hand, pulling back with a pained hiss and somewhere in her mind, she processes it as Blake. But she can’t do anything about it, too caught up in her panic attack to move. She feels another touch, this time against her left hand, a familiar warmth settling into her skin. One that doesn’t burn and tear through like the heat in her chest. Another hand cups her jaw and forces her head up with such gentleness, such care, that she has to open her eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re Yang Xiao </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucking </span>
  </em>
  <span>Long. You’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>amazing.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Blake whispers hoarsely, tears welling up in her eyes as she presses her forehead against Yang’s own, short hair wild as the winds surrounding them buffet it. “You can do this. Just breathe for me, sweetheart. I’m here. You’re not alone. Okay? I’ve got you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yang lets out a sob, whimpering as Blake cups her jaw with both hands. Blake’s thumbs brush away her tears, her voice a constant and reassuring buzz in Yang’s ears. Yang struggles to draw breath but Blake’s there and she’s real and grounding and Yang wants to melt into her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There we go. Take another deep breath for me, Yang. Good girl.” Blake murmurs softly, encouraging her, supporting her, </span>
  <em>
    <span>comforting her.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “That’s it. You’re doing great.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Slowly, bit by agonising bit, the raging inferno in her chest fades away. The air around them cools and she feels the relieved breath that Blake breathes out against her mouth. The fire surrounding her, surrounding </span>
  <em>
    <span>them</span>
  </em>
  <span>, flickers out and she feels her body go slack, chest no longer quite as tight as it once was. Blake catches her. Of </span>
  <em>
    <span>course</span>
  </em>
  <span> Blake catches her. Blake is solid and real and dependable. Yang can trust her. Yang can feel </span>
  <em>
    <span>safe </span>
  </em>
  <span>with her, can accept the comfort and reassurance that she’s denied herself for years in favour of supporting others. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There she is.” Blake says softly, as she pushes Yang away gently. She smiles, tearfully, and that’s when Yang sees her, and processes her, for the first time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The ends of Blake’s hair have been singed, her jacket stained with scorch marks as though having just dodged fire. When Yang looks down, Blake’s left hand is red, the fingertips looking like she had just touched heated metal before plunging them into the snow surrounding them before the snow had a chance to melt. Yang feels her eyes widen with horror as she slowly pieces together what had happened.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Before you panic, it’s not your fault.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But- I </span>
  <em>
    <span>hurt-“</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stop.” Blake says firmly, her eyes glowing with golden fire, her good hand moving to cup Yang’s jaw to hold her gaze. “Don’t blame yourself for this. I don’t. And believe when I say that self blame only leads to a path of self destruction.” She inhaled deeply and her expression softens, her thumb brushing Yang’s cheek tenderly. “You didn’t mean to. It wasn’t out of maliciousness and </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m </span>
  </em>
  <span>the idiot that touched your </span>
  <em>
    <span>metal arm</span>
  </em>
  <span> when you were surrounded by </span>
  <em>
    <span>fire. </span>
  </em>
  <span>That’s not on you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yang breathes out shakily, leaning her cheek into her partner’s palm. Tears flow freezing down her cheeks and Blake gently catches them all. Blake would be okay. Aura would heal her. Blake’s going to be okay.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Raven’s dead.” Yang rasps out, throat tight and painful as she stares at Blake, grief and anger flooding her. “Raven’s dead and I was the last person in her thoughts.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Oh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Yang.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Blake breathes, brushing Yang’s hair behind her ear. “I’m so sorry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She didn’t- she never told me </span>
  <em>
    <span>why.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Yang says through gritted teeth, closing her eyes tight. “I’ll never know </span>
  <em>
    <span>why </span>
  </em>
  <span>she left. I don’t- I don’t get closure or an explanation. All I get are these fucking powers that I </span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t fucking want.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> She lets out a small sob, letting Blake pull her into her arms. She clings to her partner as the snow begins to fall around them, sobbing silently into her neck as Blake rocks them back and forth, her hand cupping the back of Yang’s head as she soothes her. “What if I can’t control them? What if I hurt somebody? What if I hurt </span>
  <em>
    <span>you?!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You won’t. You’re so strong and smart, Yang. You’re going to figure this out.” Blake says softly into her ear, nuzzling at her temple reassuringly. “And I’ll be with you every step of the way. Okay? Remember our promise?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re- we’re protecting each other.” Yang sniffs, burying her face into Blake’s neck, smothering herself in Blake’s warmth and scent. “I don’t know what to do, Blake.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s okay.” Blake murmurs softly, holding Yang tightly. “I’m still not going anywhere. Neither are the others.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay.” Yang shudders, pulling back to stare miserably at Blake’s scorched jacket before meeting her eyes, swallowing thickly at the sight of concern and adoration in her best friend’s gaze. “Okay.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She had to learn to control her powers. She hates them. She </span>
  <em>
    <span>doesn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>want them. But she has to learn. She </span>
  <em>
    <span>has </span>
  </em>
  <span>to. For the sake of herself and her allies.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She can’t risk hurting them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She can’t risk hurting </span>
  <em>
    <span>Blake</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She can’t risk giving Blake a reason to run. They </span>
  <em>
    <span>both </span>
  </em>
  <span>deserve better than that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She can do this. She can learn to control her powers… and when she looks into Blake’s amber eyes and sees nothing but devotion and love... Yang knows that she doesn’t have to do this alone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Finally.. Yang has somebody </span>
  <em>
    <span>she </span>
  </em>
  <span>can lean on in equal measure. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
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